Actuatable knee bolsters for helping to protect a vehicle occupant are known in the art. Such a knee bolster is typically located at a lower portion of a vehicle instrument panel and is movable from a stored position to a deployed position in response to detection of a condition for which occupant protection is desirable. The knee bolster can help to prevent the vehicle occupant from sliding under or “submarining” beneath an inflated air bag. The knee bolster can also help absorb energy of impacts with the knee bolster, such as impacts that occur during a vehicle collision.